Winter 2016

“The More We Know, The More They Grow” Supporting Relative Caregiver Families of Brevard County, FL Winter 2016

Support Group Meetings Friday Dec 2 & Jan 6 – North Brevard Indian River City United Methodist Church, 1355 Cheney Hwy. Titusville 9:30–11:00 am (This meeting is always the first Friday of each month)

THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE… Join us at the GRG of Brevard office, 123 Barton Blvd. Rockledge on November 19th for our first annual Fall Festival from 10am til 2pm there will be fun for all to include carnival games and lunch; please RSVP 321-631-7776.

LET’S CELEBRATE! This year the GRG of Brevard Annual Children’s Christmas Celebration will be held at the Kiwanis Island, Merritt Island on December 10th, from 12-4 pm.

We will be enjoying refreshments, a visit from Santa, and a holiday meal. GRG will provide the meat and drinks please bring a covered dish to share. Please RSVP 321-631-7776.

If you are interested in volunteering with set-up or clean-up please contact us at grg.brevard@gmail.com or the office.

PAINTING WITH A TWIST Join us on Sunday, December 11th 1:30pm – 3:30pm at Painting With A Twist, (702 E New Haven Ave, Melbourne, FL) $35 per seat, includes all supplies.

https://paintingwithatwist.com/events/viewevent.aspx?eventID=930955

Thursday Dec 8 & Jan 12 – Club Esteem Club Esteem 3316 Monroe Street, Melbourne 10:00 – 11:30 am (This meeting is always the second Thursday of each month) Tuesday Dec 13 & Jan 10 – Cocoa Beach Riverside Presbyterian Church 3400 N. Atlantic Ave. Cocoa Beach 9:30–11:00 am (This meeting is always the second Tuesday of each month) Tuesday Dec 20 & Jan 17 – Central Brevard GRG of Brevard Office, 123 Barton Blvd, Rockledge 9:30 -11 am (This meeting is always the third Tuesday of each month)

NO Meeting in December Wednesday, Jan 18 – South Brevard Memaw’s Restaurant, 4916 Babcock Blvd, Palm Bay 6:00–7:30pm (Dinner is available at member's expense) (This meeting is always the third Wednesday of each month)

NO Meeting in December Thursday, Jan 26 – Melbourne Beach Side Memaw’s Restaurant, Indian Harbour Beach, 9:30–11:30 am (Breakfast is available at member's expense) (This meeting is always the last Thursday of each month)

This event is open to the public and GRG of Brevard is the recipient for this fundraiser.

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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL www.grg-brevard.org Phone: 321-631-7776 Email: grg.brevard@gmail.com

Winter 2016

A Note from Mary Ann

A NEW START

This has been a great year of growth for our organization. Some great things have been happening in the last few months! Sheriff Ivey has selected three non-profits, with GRG of Brevard being one, to benefit from two fundraisers. The sheriff’s office sponsored Jail House Break 5K Run and the Haunted Jail – a Halloween event. We will be receiving the funds soon. Thanks to Brevard County Sheriff Office and Sheriff Ivey.

Kids Without Christmas, a Brevard County non-profit, held a fundraiser to assist us with our holiday gifting.

To the grandparents and other relatives raising children in Brevard County…thank you for loving the children you raise and inspiring so many of us to work with you toward their happy and successful futures. Happy New Year!

This issue is dedicated to reminding you why you choose, every day, to continue to love and nurture the children who need you.

If you have a story to tell, please send it and we will include it in a future issue. Also if you child made the honor roll for this grading period please contact the office or send email to let us know.

Thank you!

Mary Ann

E-NEWSLETTER Are you interested in receiving an online version of our newsletter rather than a printed version? Please send an email to grg.brevard@gmail.com and include your name, email address and mailing address to insure we update your record accordingly!

Thank you for helping us save on printing costs so that more of each dollar can benefit children and families. We are looking for sponsors for the printing of the newsletter if you are interested or know of someone please contact the office.

PARENTING CLASSES Meet with Cliff Valentine on December 10th at 10:30 am in the GRG of Brevard Office for the next Parenting Class.

HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE The holiday planning is underway and we are asking the members who request holiday assistance for Thanksgiving and Christmas attend at least three meetings or events per year.

You will go on waiting list if you haven’t be able to accomplish this. If you name is on the list you will be called for time and location of pickup.

RENEW YOUR GRG MEMBERSHIP! Don't miss out! Join GRG of Brevard for important support and events focused on informing and improving the lives of relative care families in Brevard County GRG of Brevard provides programs and services to meet the urgent and ongoing needs of grandparents and other relative caregivers raising children at risk.

T.A.R.G.E.T. TRAINING Coming Soon!

Mary Ann Sterling, Executive Director GRG of Brevard 123 Barton Blvd. Ste 102 Rockledge, FL 32955 (321) 631-7776 (o) (321) 868-8004 (c) (321) 631-7776 fax email: grg.brevard@gmail.com

Last year’s TARGET training conference was a great success; with over 60 caregiver’s in attendance.

For those new to GRG of Brevard TARGET is a six-week training course that covers the latest information from community and state experts on topics ranging from financial stability and legal assistance to parenting autistic children.

Who can attend? Relative caregivers, community organizations and child advocates.  Reasons to Attend:  Have Fun, Relax, Recharge  Get Connected  Learn to Honor Your Caregiver Role  Experience Self-Acceptance  & Self Care  Explore New Innovations in Parenting Page 2

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL www.grg-brevard.org Phone: 321-631-7776 Email: grg.brevard@gmail.com

DO I MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE INCARCERATED PARENT? Grandparents as Parents - A Survival Guide for Raising a Second Family, Sylvie de Toledo and Deborah Edler Brown, The Guilford Press, New York, Second Edition Whether or not to maintain contact and how to set boundaries are primary questions for grandparents when a parent goes to jail. Do you accept collect calls? Do you send money? Do you arrange for the things she/he has on their wish list? How do you keep yourself from being manipulated? These are the decisions you will need to make again and again throughout her/his sentence, and the answers may change according to your feelings, your grandchild's feelings, your adult child's progress, and what you are able to do.

If you are unsure about getting involved, it helps to take a clear look at the situation and ask yourself:  "How old is my adult child, and how long have I been dealing with his or her behavior?"  "What has the behavior been? Has he/she run away, stolen from me, threatened my grandchild's safety or my own? Or has she/he demonstrated that he/she is trying to improve themselves?"  "How will it impact my family if I help, or if I don't? And, even if I am not interested in helping him/her at this point, would it benefit my grandchildren to have some kind of controlled contact with their father or mother?"  "What would help look like? What am I emotionally and financially able to do?"

If, after this self-evaluation, you are still unsure, talking to an outsider, such as a counselor, might be helpful. If you are interested in this complete article please contact the GRG of Brevard office 321-631-7776.

FACTS ABOUT SECONDHAND SMOKE     

There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Breathing even small amounts of secondhand smoke can be dangerous. Children are the highest risk group.

Secondhand smoke contains a deadly mix of more than 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic and 69 that can cause cancer.

Each year, primarily because of exposure to secondhand smoke, an estimated 3,000 non-smoking Americans die of lung cancer.

Nonsmokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

Opening a window, sitting in a separate area or a fan cannot eliminate the hazards of secondhand smoke exposure.

Winter 2016 For information visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com

HOW CAN I KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING? Just do one thing at a time – and keep good notes about who you talk to and what they say. You may need to go back to your notes when you are seeking help for your grandchildren. Having good, accurate notes will also help you track your progress. Good notes are very helpful when it comes to legal issues.

Get a notebook or a binder and label the cover clearly with the date of the first entry in the notebook. When that notebook is full, mark the date of the last note on the cover as well. GRG of Brevard offers a grandparent journal. Every time you talk to someone about your grandchild, write down:  The date  The name of the person  The person’s title and/or relationship to your grandchild (i.e. teacher, case worker, parent, etc.)  The person’s contact information (phone number, address, email address, etc.)  The general topic you talked about (school, illness, money, legal, mental health etc.)  Specific notes about your conversation  Next steps or “to do” list for follow up after the conversation

HOLIDAY MEMORIES Holidays can be filled with wonder and stress. When you are both grandparent and parent to your grandkids, you have a unique opportunity to build precious memories and help the children develop practical life skills.

Think of family traditions as gifts that produce the warm feelings of security, love, caring, fun and acceptance.

Children of all ages will remember and be nurtured by these for years to come. Family traditions that you had when you were just a grandparent may need to give way to new traditions due to the changes in your family situation. This may not be as hard as it sounds. If you had a close relationship with your grandchild in the past, you can draw from past experience and think of the kinds of activities that best fit into your new situation.

Building new traditions may help both you and your grandchild reduce confusion and stress. As grandparent and parent, you can also help your grandchild gain a sense of family history and legacies. Like any other important role in life, it requires continued growth and learning - and maybe even a little creativity!

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Go it ALONE or Join OTHERS

Why not get CONNECTED?

Support Groups provide advocacy, resources and great friendships.

GRG of Brevard holds support groups throughout the county at 6 locations days and evenings.

Improve your outlook one step at a time by using the resources provided by GRG Sharing with others is a great way to learn new ways to help you on your journey to raising a successful grandchild!

Parenting classes provide tools for coping with the stress of parenting again.

Get HELP! GRG of Brevard is an ACCESS provider; we can assist with your application for TANF, Food Stamps, and Medicaid.

Visit on your computer, grg-brevard.org smartphone or tablet

HELP THE GRANDPARENTS AND CHILDREN OF GRG OF BREVARD BECOME A MEMBER AND/OR FRIEND Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County FL, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

All gifts are deductible on corporate, foundation and individual tax returns to the extent provided by state and federal laws .

Members of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL, Inc. receive our newsletter and invitations to events where they can meet others in similar situations

I am raising children who are not my own I am their:

Name

[ ] Grandparent

Date:

[ ] Aunt / Uncle

Address:

[ ] Sister / Brother [ ] Other (please specify)

City/State:

[ ] I am not in this situation but I want to join GRG of Brevard because I am interested in what you do.

Zip: Phone: Email: [ ] Annual Membership $20 per family or $10 per caregiver [ ] Annual Corporate Membership $500 I want to be a friend of the GRG of Brevard and enclose an additional donation of: [ ] $25

[ ] $50

[ ] $75 [ ] $100

Other: $

Please make your check payable to: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard

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